Torment: Tides of Numenera trailer teases choice-heavy combat

Juggle your skills, abilities and equipment.

Techland and inXile's Torment: Tides of Numenera has spent the last couple of months ramping up its trailer presence ahead of its February 28 launch date. The latest explores its combat which, much like its core inspiration, Black Isle's Planescape: Torment, is typically choice-heavy.

Which places a fair bit of responsibility on players. Do you steam into combat firing on all cylinders, or do you sidestep hostility by relying on deception, persuasion and/or stealth? Do you spend earned experience points on might, speed or intellect—or do you instead upgrade your core skills? Upon reaching new tiers, which abilities will serve you best on the battlefield, and should you opt for a more offensive playstyle or a defensive-leaning approach?

And that's all before you get to Cyphers—the most powerful items over and above weapons and armour. Over to you, Mr narrator person:

Besides the vast level of customisation Tides promises, I'm most interested in the Allies system noted above, particularly mention of special abilities such as "trans-dimensional alter egos." I'm also suddenly reminded of this Red Dwarf episode.

The Castoff Labyrinth sounds interesting too—a mysterious maze "deep inside your own mind", where the player is sent upon death. This hub of sorts is explorable, we're told, within which players can uncover new sub-plots, increase their powers and ultimately come back to life "even wiser than before."